The Satanic Temple of Detroit in the US has unveiled a bronze Baphomet statue in protest against the display of religious monuments on government property.
The 9ft-tall, one-tonne sculpture made its debut at a ticketed event in an industrial building near the Detroit River after efforts failed to have it installed alongside a monument of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol. Supporters cheered "Hail Satan" and posed for photographs, according to CBC News.
Not all Detroit residents were happy. Demonstrations against the sculpture have been ongoing for over a month ahead of the unveiling. Roughly 100 protesters decried the Saturday unveiling, calling it "disrespectful" to other religions, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
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Jex Blackmore, director of the Satanic Temple of Detroit, says such vitriol stems from years of "deep misunderstanding" about the true meaning of Satanism.
The Satanic Temple of Detroit is non-theistic. It adopts a view of Satan as "a symbol of man’s inherent nature, representative of the eternal rebel, enlightened inquiry and personal freedom", rather than subscribing to the Judeo-Christian interpretation of the Devil.
"We are interested in positive and effective change," Blackmore said. "And we're interested in positive conversation."
Even among the Christian faithful, though, there are conflicting opinions. Minister Todd Sanders of Strictly Biblical Bible Teaching Ministries says he believes the situation could be educational.
"The church can benefit from this because we can view this as an opportunity to get at the truth in terms of what the Satanic Temple believes... I don't think it's anything we should be afraid of at all."
Reverend David Bullock of the Greater St Matthew Baptist Church felt differently, arguing that the statue mocked other religions.
"The statue is supposed to create a dialogue. Well, statues don't talk. If you want to have a dialogue with other faiths, why not send an email in advance or knock on the door?" Bullock argued. "It's not creating a dialogue at all. It's actually polarising a large number of folks in the city of Detroit."
Later on Tuesday, the Oklahoma monument of the Ten Commandments, which the Satanic statue was intended to protest, was ruled unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court. Since its erection in 2012, the monument has drawn protests from groups including Satanists and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, according to the Huffington Post. In light of the verdict, lawmakers in the socially conservative state are exploring options to block the decision, including amending the state constitution and impeaching the justices.
A law permitting a similar monument on Arkansas state capitol grounds was approved earlier this year, and the Detroit Satan statue will reportedly be visiting the state in due course.
